Refrigerator cabinet



July 4, 1939. R. MONEY REFRIGERATOR CABINET Filed Jan. 18, 1936INVENTOR. ROLAND h! MONEY.

ATTORNEYS Patented July 4, 1939 UNITED STATES REFRIGERATOR CABINETRoland H. Money, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The Crosley Corporation,

Ohio

Claims.

My invention relates to refrigerator cabinets for domestic use in whichthe refrigeration unit is installed at the upper part of the cabinet.

There are two difliculties in connection with 5 refrigeration unitsinstalled within continuations of the walls of the cabinet proper,although this mode of installation has now become fairly regularpractice in domestic refrigerator structures. One of these is that it isdifficult to gain full access to the mechanical parts of the unitwithout removing it entirely from the refrigerator cabinet. Another isthat no very effective air currents can be set up through the space inwhich the unit is mounted. I

My invention relates to means for curing both of these defects. To thatend I have provided for a cabinet open front-and back above therefrigeration chamber proper, and provide a cover to fit over the topand front of this upper por- 20 tion of the cabinet which fits in withthe design of the cabinet as a whole, and is detachable in a singlepiece, thus giving access at the front of the unit, and indeed at allsides but the ends thereof, without removing it from the cabinet at 25all. Also in connection with this cover I am able to provide ventilationopenings to the front of the cabinet, while maintaining them out ofsight, so that air currents can be set up from front to back of thespace in which the unit is installed.

I have illustrated my invention in connection with a particular designof refrigerator cabinet and certain of the structural details arenaturally incident to this design. This will be apparent to the personfamiliar with the art, and I make reference to the appended claims forthe novelty inherent in my device, of which but one example is shown anddescribed.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the upper portion of a domesticrefrigerator.

Fig. 2 is a like view showing'the cover device removed from position.

Fig. 3 is a detail section taken on the line 33 45 Of Fig. 1.-

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the ventilation openings in the coverpiece.

Fig. 5 is a detail on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a detail on the line 66 of Fig. 3.

Fig. '7 is a detail taken on the line I-I of Fig. 6.

I have not illustrated the entire refrigerator cabinet, since the lowerportion thereof forms no essential part of my invention. The cabinet. is

a corporation of Application January 18, 1936, Serial No. 59,725

ably in one piece from the lower portion of the cabinet to the topthereof. The cabinet also has a cross member 2, which extends acrossabove the door opening for the refrigeration compartment la.- The backpanel 3 extends throughout 5 the back of the cabinet up to the sameheight, preferably as the front cross member. A door 4 closes theopening in the front of the cabinet, abutting at the top against thecross member 2. In the particular form shown a front panel does 10 notsurround the door opening, since this opening is defined by the crossmember 2, thesides of the cabinet, and a panel across between the sidesbelow the door opening. This detail is a non-essential. Neither is itessential that a single door is. shown, since two doors closing againsta central pillar would not alter the novel features of my device.

The refrigeration unit indicated generally at 5, is arranged to rest onsuitable frame pieces housed in the front cross member and the backpanel, with a frame 6, formed in the top liner sheet of therefrigeration compartment, defining the opening through which theevaporator element I depends. Suitable gaskets are provided as indicatedat 8 toseal this frame against air leakage.

The closure member or cover, is formed of a sheet bent to form a top 9and a front II] for the cabinet portion in which the refrigeration unitis housed. In the form illustrated, this cover is flanged around at thesides, as indicated at II, and then turned in to provide a ledge whichrests on the upper portion of the sides of the cabinet and also engagesagainst the front edges of the sides.

As constructed the front face of the cover member corresponds with theexterior face of the door, so that a continuous design extends acrossthe front of the refrigerator. However, the lower edge of the covermember is spaced away somewhat from the top edge of the door. Thisleaves a small amount of the front panel or cross bar exposed, and alsoleaves an air passage up through the overhang of the cover member.

Instead of turning in a flange at the lower front edge of the covermember I may either omit any inwardly extending flange at this point ormay secure a plate I2 across the overhang of the cover. This plate I2will then have air holes I3 formed 50 therein.

The air can pass through the space between the top of the door and theoverhanging portion of the cover, up through the holes and out into thespace where the unit is housed.

As a convenient mode of holding the cover in place I may provide a pairof latches one at each side in the form of resilient tongues M, withbends in them which will snap into notches formed in the inside platesof the sides of the cabinet. To hold the cover snugly down at the frontI may provide headed screws it, set into the front panel or cross bar,at the ends thereof, and key hole slots in the inwardly extendingflanges of the cover member as indicated at 36, which slots will engageover the heads of the screws and slide down over the shanks thereof. Ifdesired to secure this key hole slot engagement against rattling, springtongues it may be mounted on the said flange of the cover so as toengage under the heads of the screws, when the cover is in place.

As so constructed the cover appears to merge into the general design ofthe cabinet and to be part of the front as well as the top thereof. Itis normally held gripped snugly in place but can be easily pushedupwardly and lifted away entirely exposing the unit for repairs oradjustment. Also a suitable air vent is provided at the front of thestructure, which air vent is an improvement in and of itself whether thefront element of the cover is fixed in place or not.

As already noted, there has been a particular design of cabinet to whichmy device is applied. In this design the door projects from the line ofthe sides leaving a chamber in its inner panel, as indicated at H! (Fig.3). This facilitates the mounting of shelves (not shown) in the door, asdescribed in the patent to Constance Lane West Reissue No. 19,008, datedNovember 21, 1933. Were the door to be more nearly flush with the faceof the cabinet, it would still be practical to employ the cover member,but there would not be so great a space for an air vent unless it wouldbe practical to work into the design of the box a greater projection ofthe upper front of the cabinet. Also less of the front of the unitcompartment could be exposed by the cover with consequent sacrifice ofavailability of the unit when the cover is removed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a refrigerator cabinet, the combination with side walls extendingupwardly beyond the refrigeration compartment portion thereof, to form aspace for installing a refrigeration unit, and a cross member at thefront of the cabinet, a door for the refrigeration compartment portionof the cabinet abutting said cross member, and

. a removable cover for the top and exposed front of the unitinstallation space, engaging said sides at the top and front, andoverlapping at least in part the said cross member, and spaced from saidrefrigeration compartment portion thereof, to

form a space for installing a refrigeration unit, and a cross member atthe front of the cabinet,

a door for the refrigeration compartment portion of the cabinet abuttingsaid cross member, and a removable cover in one piece for the top andexposed front of the unit installation space, engaging said sides at thetop and front, and extending to the said cross member, said cover memberbeing formed of a front section and a top section with a flange bentaround continuously from said sections and turned inwardly to rest onthe exposed edges of the said side walls, said flange where it rests onsaid cross member being perforated to provide ventilation openings.

3. In a refrigerator cabinet, the combination with side walls extendingupwardly beyond the refrigeration compartment portion thereof, to form aspace for installing a refrigeration unit, and a cross member at thefront of the cabinet,

a door for the refrigeration compartment portion of the cabinet abuttingsaid cross member and extending forwardly beyond the front edges of saidside walls, and a removable cover for the top and exposed front of theunit installation space, engaging said sides at the top and front, andoverlapping at least in part the said cross member, said cover at thefront being extended forwardly to match the door and being verticallyspaced from the top of the door and having an opening in the bottombetween the forwardly extended portion and said cross member to providean air vent for the unit installation space.

4. In a refrigerator cabinet having a refrigeration compartment and adoor for said compartment, said door extending outwardly somewhat fromthe front of said compartment, sides extending upwardly from therefrigeration compartment, providing space for mounting of arefrigeration unit above said compartment, and a removable cover formedin one piece to enclose the space left between the top and front edgesof said sides, said cover arranged to extend outwardly at the front soas to form a continuation in effect of the door, but spaced upwardlyfrom the top of the door, and an air vent in the cover in the spacebetween the front of said compartment and the outwardly extended portionof said cover between the sides of the cabinet.

5. In a refrigerator cabinet, the combination with side walls-extendingupwardly beyond the refrigeration compartment portion thereof, to

form a space for installing a refrigeration unit,

and a cross member at the front of the cabinet, a door for therefrigeration compartment portion of the cabinet abutting said crossmember, and a removable cover for the top and exposed front of the unitinstallation space, engaging said sides at the top and front but themajor portion thereof being spaced outwardly between its sides andoverlapping at least in part the said cross member, and spaced from saiddoor, to permit the flow of air between said cover and said crossmember.

ROLAND H. MONEY.

